DECEMBER 2010

Topical Websites 1.8

Topical sites – What are they?

Journalists file nuggets, tidbits and other accurate information to a topical website.

A good rule of thumb: If you wouldn’t put it on TV or in the newspaper, don’t publish it here.

Community members engage with them by adding their own accurate tidbits and information.

Topical sites – What are they?

The basics

Phase I (External)

Topical sites

Public/organizations/etc. file news to appropriate sites.

Engage there.

Phase II (External)

Topical sites

Public/organizations/etc.

file news to appropriate sites.

Engage there.

Public offers expertise

Phase II hurdles

Buy inParticipation in public

network

External pushback

Non-participation

Potentially contributing public

Internal pushback (voiced

publicly)

Positive reinforcement (internal)

Positive reinforcement (external)

Topical sites – News Now

Topical sites - Business

Topical sites - Schools

Topical sites - Outdoors

Topical sites – High School Sports

Topical sites – Sports and Rec

Topical sites – Government

Topical sites – Life

Topical sites – Higher Ed

Topical sites - Health

Topical sites – Weather

SourceMGNews.com

Topical sites – Successes (Fall 2010)

In some instances allow journalists to file in one place.

Taking steps toward reporting as we are going. (Reporting in the first instance class talks more about this.)

Community engages: More than 1,300 community-contributed posts by November.

Topical sites – Could be better (December 2010)

Get more community members. (Social media class from earlier this year) Engage with them. Coach them. Interact with them. Respond to comments.

Market your site (Marketing your blog class) Find relevant opportunities (Schools in The Gazette,

Life on TV9, Chamber luncheon for Business, for example)

Public generally is not confused!

Where to file?

Take your best shot at where it fits.There are some gray areas.Sometimes if it’s a gray area you may decide

to file to your primary site over somebody else’s primary site.

If it fits on Health and Life, file it on Health. Narrower site to larger (catch-all site)

Exercise – where to file?

Car accidentEGG PLANT INSPECTION……by attorneys representing the plaintiffs in

class action salmonella lawsuitNobody getting flu shotsPrank at Olin High School closes school earlyUI President Sally Mason and others will

share the findings of a comprehensive studySomebody won the lotteryStory on Geo caching

Topical sites – When you file

Make it “look” nice: Words Pictures (Pull from archive if nothing new) Maps (Umapper class) Videos Audio Charts Other multimedia

Topical sites – The future

They will continue to evolve.Ways of filing will change.Community contributions will increase.We need to adjust to changing times.New layoutWe may have to split some of the catch-alls

(Life, particular up into more topics.)Let’s have fun!

Topical site

Questions?Comments?